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Bomb rocks Catholic bishops' conference

On July 25, a bomb exploded at the main entrance of the Mexican Episcopal Conference headquarters in Mexico City at approximately 1:50 a.m., causing some damage but no injuries. The explosive device has been described in the Mexican media as Molotov cocktail.

According to Bishop Alfonso G. Miranda Guardiola, the secretary of the bishops' organization, "We appreciate the support and solidarity shown by our bishops, faithful, priests, institutions and many people of good will." The release from the bishops stated: "As a collegial organ of the Bishops of Mexico, we want to appeal to calm, carefulness and respect for human life and its institutions. This fact invites us to think intensely about the need to rebuild the social fabric, to promote a safe environment for all citizens."

Still from CCTV footage

Bishop Miranda Guardiola called for "a societal conversion in order to look at each other as brothers and so that every citizen is a peace builder in our country, entrusting to Christ the Prince of Peace, and Our Lady of Guadalupe, our mission of creating a more just and supportive nation."

Mexico continues to be challenged by narco-terrorism, especially outside of the capital, which is pitting drug cartels against security forces and civilians. In the last few years, several priests and religious have been murdered. They were among the 20,792 homicides in Mexico in 2016, which was a 22 percent increase over 2015, and a 35 percent jump over 2014. So far this year, there has been an unprecedented increase in the rate of violence and murder: nearly 2,000 people were killed in January alone — more than in any January since Mexican officials began releasing crime data in the 1990s.